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Iran’s intelligence ministry on Friday accused foreign “enemies” and dissidents of stoking fears over the suspected poisoning of schoolchildren, saying an investigation had found no actual poisoning.
The wave of suspected attacks has affected thousands of schoolchildren and fueled public anger, following months of protests against Iran’s clerical authorities following the death of a young woman who was arrested by police for allegedly breaking strict hijab rules.
“The role of the enemy in causing this crisis is certain and undeniable. Individuals, groups and the Western media (especially in Persian) … have been focused on in the last few months, as well as foreign politicians and international bodies,” said the ministry’s report carried out by the media country.
“In field findings and laboratory investigations … no toxic substances that could cause poisoning were observed … and there were no deaths or long-term physical conditions,” the report said, blaming mischievousness and mass hysteria among students.
The report blamed unnamed dissidents for inciting fear to produce propaganda videos and warned of “prosecution of individuals, groups, media who accuse the government … and align themselves with the enemy.”
Authorities accused “enemies” of the Islamic Republic of using the suspected attack to undermine the clerical establishment. But suspicion has fallen on hardline groups who act as self-proclaimed guardians of Islamic interpretation.
The mysterious poisoning of more than 1,000 Iranian schoolgirls has reignited protests for women’s rights across the country.
The suspected poisoning began in November in the Shiite holy city of Qom and spread to 28 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to activists from the HRANA news agency, prompting some parents to take their children out of school and protest.
For the first time since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, school girls have joined the protests that spiraled after the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police.
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